Colby McLawhorn can’t stop smiling. After all, he may have the chance to meet one of his favorite major league players.

McLawhorn, a 13-year-old rising eighth-grader at Contentnea-Savannah School, has earned his way into this weekend’s Team Championship of the national Pitch, Hit & Run competition sponsored by Major League Baseball.

McLawhorn, a catcher for Parrott Academy’s undefeated East Carolina Scholastic Summer League team, has qualified in the local and sectional competitions to advance to Saturday’s competition at Atlanta’s Turner Field.

He is one good set of throws, hits and runs away from making it to the national competition, which is held in conjunction with the MLB All-Star Week every year.

“It’s pretty cool,” McLawhorn said. “It’s an awesome experience.”

On Saturday, McLawhorn will compete with other sectional winners of the same 13-14 age group prior to the Braves hosting the San Francisco Giants.

McLawhorn and his family get to attend the game, and if things work out, they may be able to meet some of the players, such as Giants catcher Buster Posey.

“I’m just excited for him, to have this opportunity,” said Colby’s father, Mike. “It’s been a real next experience that not too many other kids Colby’s age get to have.”

Colby McLawhorn’s advancement to the Team Competition — Lenoir County is considered a part of the Braves’ market for the event — follows in the footsteps of current North Lenoir infielder Luke Jackson and ECU catcher/infielder Joshua Lovick.

Both Jackson and Lovick advanced to the national competition and were able to take part in the all-star weekend festivities, including shagging fly balls during the home run derby, and that’s where McLawhorn wants to go.

The all-star game is held next month at the Mets’ Citi Field in New York City.

“He looks up to those players,” Mike McLawhorn said of Jackson and Lovick. “It shows just how much talent and the quality of that talent that there is around here.”

The competition is divided into three parts: throwing, hitting and running. Participants pitch at targets designed to simulate a strike zone, then take hits off a tee which are measured for distance and accuracy. The running portion starts at second base, where the runner takes off, rounds third and touches home as if he or she were scoring on a base hit.

McLawhorn’s cumulative score was high enough to qualify him for what amounts to a regional competition.

Even if he doesn’t qualify for the national event, McLawhorn, who said he is a Yankees fan, is going to enjoy the experience this weekend will bring.

“The experience is the main thing I want,” he said, “but to win it would be even better.”

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Ryan Herman can be reached at 252-559-1073 or Ryan.Herman@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter: @KFPSports.